How silent book clubs are rising around the world as readers enjoy the no-pressure events
On a Saturday morning in April, readers gathered in a park in Indonesia's capital Jakarta for a monthly book club. Around 260 strangers sat on the grass, heads down, captivated by what they were reading.
It almost looked like a regular book club, but there was a twist.
Everyone here was reading something different: from fantasy, romance and religion to business and self-help books. Titles read included Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, The Vegetarian by Nobel laureate Han Kang, and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
Non-traditional book clubs have gained momentum around the world in recent years.
Silent Book Club Jakarta is part of a movement that spans from the US to Taiwan, where readers reject the traditional book club format and bring a novel of their own choice and no judgment for uninterrupted reading time.
All types of book formats are encouraged at Silent Book Club's events, from hard copies to Kindles and even audiobooks. Photo: Silent Book Club
Silent Book Club's premise avoids many of the things people do not like about traditional book clubs: the monthly book pick, questions and quarrels about how people interpreted it, and pressure to read it.
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